I’m really enjoying being a part of the Barefoot Bloggers. The Chinese Chicken Salad we made two weeks ago was a definite winner and the leftover dressing made a very tasty baking sauce for another dish I made this past weekend. This week’s recipe selection was a Croque Monsieur sandwich… something I can honestly say I never in a million years would’ve made on my own. In the spirit of the MasterCard commercials, let me break it down for you…

Gruyere Cheese… $9.49
Parmesan Cheese… $3.79
Black Forest Ham… $6.99
French Bread… $3.49
Honey Dijon Mustard… $3.19

The end result… PRICELESS!!!

If I’m keepin it real I’ll tell ya this was pretty darn expensive – especially for what amounts to basically a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. When you take into consideration I am not a major cheese fan and especially do not care for cheese sauce, I took a rather big risk in making this recipe. I did take a few liberties… I used Honey Dijon Mustard instead of Dijon Mustard because that’s what we like and I did not cut the crusts off the bread as those crusty edges are part of French Bread’s charm =)   Because it was just DH and I that night, I cut everything in half and was completely taken by surprise at how overwhelmingly good this sandwich truly is.  Even DH raved about it :)

I have to thank Kathy of All Food Considered for this selection.  It’s a recipe I can’t wait to make again and again!!

Ina Garten’s Croque Monsieur

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups hot milk
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch nutmeg
• 12 ounces Gruyere, grated (5 cups)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 16 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
• Dijon mustard
• 8 ounces baked Virginia ham, sliced but not paper thin

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter–flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup grated Gruyere, and the Parmesan and set aside.

To toast the bread, place the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted.

Lightly brush half the toasted breads with mustard, add a slice of ham to each, and sprinkle with half the remaining Gruyere. Top with another piece of toasted bread. Slather the tops with the cheese sauce, sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere, and bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve hot.

Have a delicious day!